Moistening device



Sept. 14 ,'1926. 1,600,095

c. E. CASACLANG MOISTENING DEVICEv Filed Jan. 11. 1926 6 Caviar/((1257,

Patented Sept. 14, 1926.

UNITED STATES CORNELIO CASACLANG, F DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

morsrmvme DEVICE.

Application filed January 11, 1926. Serial No. 80,594.

My present invention has to do with the moistening of stamps, envelope flaps and the like; and it contem lattes the provision of an efficient device, adapted to be carried I with facility in the pocket, and calculated to enable a user to quickly and easily apply an adequate amount of moisture to a stamp or to an envelope flap for the fastening thereof.

Other objects and practical advantages of the invention will be fully understood from the following description and claims when the same are read in connection with the drawings, accompanying and forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a View, partly in elevation and partly in section, illustrative ofv the pre ferred embodiment of my invention.

Figure 2 is a transverse section taken in the plane indicated by the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Similar numerals of reference desi nate corresponding parts in both views 0 the drawings.

Among other elements my novel device comprises a cylindrical casing 1, preferably of hard rubber, closed at one end as designated by 2, and open at its opposite end.

.Carried within the casing 1s a compressible water container 3 of soft vulcanized rubber and possessed of resiliency, the said water container being closed at one end and open at its opposite end and adapted at the latter end -to be sprung upon a closure plug 4 so as to yieldingly maintain the connection between itself and the said plug." The plug 4 is preferably of hard rubber and is maintained in position in the casing 1 by frictional' contact, or may, in the discretion of,

the manufacturer, be threadedly secured in the casing 1. The said closure plug is provided with a, central orifice 5 and with a valve seat 6 at the inner end of said orifice 5, and it is also provided with a guard 7, thelatter to limit the inward movement of a valve 8 on which is a stem. 9 that extends through the orifice 5 and a considerable distanoe beyond the plug 4, Figure '1. At

interior of the applying element '10 Whereby the said element 10 will be impregnated with water and will be adapted to adequately moisten a stamp or the adhesive bearing portion of an envelope flap or the like. The open end of the element 10 surrounds the forward reduced portion of the closure plug 4, and is retained on said portion by a surrounding resilient band 11, preferably of vulcanized rubber, the said band being interposed between the plug 4 and the cylinder 1 so that the element 10 will be remforced and held in proper working position by the cylinder or casing 1. The guard 7 has for its function to prevent undue opening movement of the valve 8, and it also serves to prevent displacement of the said valve 8 as when the device is carried in the pocket witlr the sponge element 10- uppermost. I

The valve 8 is preferably of appropriate rubber, and when the device is carried in the pocket with the sponge element 10 lowermost, the weight of'water in the tube 3 will operate by pressure to maintain the valve 8 in closed position so that the passage of water from the tube 3 to the sponge element 10 will be prevented. I

An opening 11 is formed in the side wall of the casing 1, and in said opening 11 is positioned a lever 12, the long arm of which is adapted to be pulled outwardly and then pushed inwardly. The short ,arm of the lever 12 is disposed against a pressure member 13 located alongside of and in contact with the compressible tube 3.v Manifestly by tending to spring outwardly the .tube 3 acting through the pressure member 13 will serve to yieldingly maintain the long'arm of the lever 12 in the normal position illustrated in Figure 1. It will be noticed however, that the long arm of the lever 12 may be pulled outwardly against the yielding resistance of the tube3, and that the said operation will be attended by compression of the tube 3 so that when the long arm of the lever 12 is releasedthe tube 3 will expand and in that way operate to draw water through the sponge element 10 and the orifice 5 and past the valve 8 intothe tube 3. From this it follows that by immersing the sponge element 10 in a glass of'water orv the like, pressing downwardly upon the sponge element 10 if necessary, the interior 'of the tube 3 -may be supplied with water 110 by moving the lon arm of the lever 12 outwardly and inwar 1y.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that my novel device is of such character that a cap similarito that employedon a fountain pen may be used in association gwith my novel device, the cap being arranged oven the sponge element 10 and detachably secured by frictional contact or otherwise on/thejadjacent end of the easing 1, 'and the said .cap being equipped with a clip analogous to the kind employed on ordinary fountain pen caps. I have, however, deemed it unnecessary to illus trate the said cap as the same does not form part of my invention.

It will be appreciatedthat when equipped with a cap such as indicated,v my novel device may be conveniently carried in the pocket, and that when it is desired to use the device it issimply necessary to remove the same from the pocket, displace the said cap and then apply the sponge element 10 to'the stamp, envelope flap or the like to be moistened, and in this connection it will be noticed that'when the sponge element 10 is subjected to pressure it will act against the stem 9 .of the valve 8, and by displacing the said valve 8 will permit the passage of water fromthe tube 3' to the interior of the sponge element lO, and thesaid sponge element 10 becoming impregnated with water will operate to adequately apply sufficient water to the adhesive bearing surface 'fo rthe adequate moistening of the adhesive. Manifestly when the sponge element 10 is r'elieved of pressure, the weight of the 'waterwill operate'to close the valve 8 and. 1 enable the same to preventpassage of water fr'rom the interior of the tube 3 to the in- :terior of the element 10. V Y

It-' will be understood from the foregoing ithat vmy device may be made in ;various' :Isizes within the discretion of the manufacferred embodiment 'of'my invention in orr v A the casing. turer, and that in no caseis it necessary to fining myself to the specific construction and relative arrangement of parts as disclosed, my invention-being defined by my appended claims within the scope of which changes in structureand arrangement may be made without departure from my inventlOIl. v ,..r

Having described my invention, what, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A moistening device comprising a casing closed at one end and open at its opposite end and having an .opening in its side Wall, a resilient compressible tube ar ranged in the casing and closed at one'end and open at its opposite; end, a pressure member located alongside of and in contact with the tube, a lever disposed in the said opening in the side wall of the "casing and having one of its arms arranged in engagement with the said pressure member, a closure plug for the open end of the casing and upon which the compressible tube is 'se; cured ofitself, said closure plug having an eduction orifice and a valve seat at the inner end thereof and also having a.- valve guard, a rectilinearly movable valve op,-

posed to said valve seat and interposed between the same and thesaid guard and having a stem extending forwardly through the said orifice and beyond the same, an ab- SOITbBIlt applying member closed at its for ward end and open at its rearend and en} closing the said valve stem and adapted to :cooperate therewith and having its rear open end arranged about the closure plug, and a resilient band surrounding the" said open end of the applying element and detachably holding the same on the closure plug and arranged within the open" end of 2. The combination in V1ce;'of a Watercontainer, a closure there- 'for having an eduction orifice and a valve seat at the inner end thereof, a valve opposedto said seat and having its stem extending through and beyond said orifice,

' and a flexible, cup-shaped absorbent applying element enclosing the valve stem and movable to cooperate with said stem and open the valve and secured with respect to the closure means.

ture.

OORNELIO E. cAsAcLANci a moistening de- In testimony whereof I aifix my signa- 

